


Lo Mein

by carpelucem



Category: Homeland
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-17
Updated: 2013-12-17
Packaged: 2018-01-04 22:48:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1086572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carpelucem/pseuds/carpelucem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Quinn's an iceberg ninety percent of the time, completely unreadable except for that ever-persistent air of his own satisfaction. Then out of nowhere he shows up on her doorstep with a paper bag full of Chinese food.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lo Mein

Her hands are too shaky to use chopsticks, post-op adrenaline is still coursing through her veins and her noodles keep slipping back to the cardboard container.

Quinn's fingers close over hers, his palm warm and dry. The look on his face has grown familiar to Carrie, one part frustration and two parts indulgence, and right now she can't decide if the smug set of his lips is pissing her off or turning her on. 

She doesn't want to deny him his bragging rights, he was right about the outcome of the mission, and Carrie tries not to be petty about victories these days. And if she's honest with herself, she knows Quinn's not really arrogant, just confident because he, like Carrie herself, is excellent at his job. 

It's just that she can't decipher him. She can't get a bead on his motives. Quinn's an iceberg ninety percent of the time, completely unreadable except for that ever-persistent air of his own satisfaction. Then out of nowhere he shows up on her doorstep with a paper bag full of Chinese food. 

And Carrie knows he probably ran her credit card to find her favorite place, most likely hacked into the goddamn restaurant's order history to find what she liked, because that's just what Quinn does. It's never halfway with him.

It's never halfway with her, either.

So as sick as it is, it's moments like this that sucker punch Carrie right in the gut. Quinn's attention to detail, his eye for the small things that always turn into big things, she gets it. What's worse, she appreciates it. 

That's when she has her answer. It's why she twists her hand in Quinn's, shoves her food aside, and tugs him close. 

Whatever this is, it's been bubbling for far too long. The longing in his eyes that Quinn's laid bare on purpose for her to see, it curls inside of Carrie, propels her forward. His lips meet hers, not in surprise, but like they've just been waiting for her to catch up with the program. 

They should have done this a long time ago, the sex between them is fantastic. They pull no punches with each other, and while it's not especially gentle, it's not riddled with the desperate violence that Carrie would have imagined (because she has imagined this, on occasion). Quinn's hands are careful on her skin, sliding her clothes from her body with a practiced ease. His mouth traces down her neck, nipping softly at her collarbone and Carrie wonders, briefly, if the condom he slips on is a standard fixture in his wallet or if he had the notion of ending up right where they are now. She's grateful for his forward thinking, though, and her fingers grasp at the buttons of Quinn's shirt. It takes her a moment to slip them free, as she curses with clumsy frustration. Suddenly, it's off though and she's running her palms over his stomach and chest, absorbing his warmth. She ends up with a leg draped over the back of the couch and another around his waist, and cants her hips up as he settles himself between her thighs. 

He smiles down at her, another rare moment of unguarded emotion, and Carrie wonders if the expression is mirrored on her face. Then Quinn's pushing forward, filling her up, and Carrie stops thinking.

Quinn's heavy in the aftermath, his sweat-slick arms wrapped around her shoulders when it's all over. He settles his face into the hollow of her neck and of all the people she knows, Carrie wouldn't have pegged him for a cuddler, his personal walls are tall and thick as they come. 

It's as good a moment as any to freak out, but the adrenaline has evened into something mellow and almost pleasant, her breaths soon matching Quinn's in the quiet of her living room. 

A second before Carrie feels the awkwardness creeping in, Quinn pushes back, finds his clothes, and picks up his chopsticks. He starts to go over a few of the highlights from the evening's mission and Carrie feels a sense of calm as she pulls her clothing back on. Her hands are far steadier this time when she sits next to Quinn, and she finishes her dinner.


End file.
